Retreat
by kaela097
Summary: With Chuck out of town, Blair is left to entertain her children for the week. He returns home to a hero's welcome just as a crisis is threatening a member of his extended family.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**To all my longtime readers, here is my newest multi-chapter Chair story. It's starts out with several chapters of Bass family fun before the real drama kicks in. I hope you enjoy. As timelines go, it would fit in somewhere between 'Fit for a King' and 'Chuck's Dilemma'.**

**Enjoy.**

"Here you go, Mister Chuck," Dorota stated as she handed her boss a neatly folded pile of his freshly washed unmentionables.

"Thank you, Dorota," Chuck replied as he added them to the pile of clothes to be packed for his corporate retreat. Blair was hovering over his suitcase, tossing items in carelessly, her anger that he was leaving still evident, even though they'd already had their makeup sex after the argument she'd started when he reminded her he had to leave that day. She'd spent the many days prior ignoring his impending departure.

"Do you need anything else?" Dorota inquired as she watched her longtime companion make an absolute mess in his suitcase. It was all she could do to not shove her boss aside to pack the suitcase properly.

"No, I believe I have everything I need," Chuck replied.

"I go check on children," Dorota offered, "They make cute poster to send you off."

Blair huffed in annoyance.

"Blair, I'm only going to be gone for five days," Chuck reminded her for what felt like the millionth time.

"Five days too long," Blair snapped, "I just don't get why you need to go. This is an executive retreat. You are not even an executive anymore. You haven't been for years. You've never had to go before."

"I am still the Chairman of the Board," Chuck reminded her, "And this retreat is different than the ones in years past. With the turnover on the board, attendance is mandatory. You know I'd get out of it if I could."

"You're the man that signs everyone's checks. Override them," she demanded.

"Blair…" he began

"I know I'm being irrational," she sighed, "It's just that we're going to miss you."

"I'll miss you," he pulled his clothes out of her hands and then took her into his arms, "I will miss you and the children every minute that I'm gone, and I promise to call every night."

"You'd better," she glared at him.

"And if you need anything at any moment, you can call my cell," he added, "And I'll be on the first flight home that I can get after we wrap everything up, even if it means that I fly home coach."

"Even if it's in a cargo plane," she amended.

"Even if it's a cargo plane," he repeated, "I love you."

"I love you too," she sighed as she relaxed into his embrace, "I'm not going to be able to sleep a wink while you're gone."

"Neither will I," he replied, "But when I get home, I promise that we'll have a spectacular reunion. Your sainted mother-in-law has agreed to take the children for the evening, so you and I will get the night to ourselves."

"I don't know how I'll manage all three children on my own," she sighed dramatically.

Chuck couldn't help the laugh that escaped at how melodramatic she was being about this. Their children were hardly a handful. Even if she needed a break, which was unlikely, they had a host of people ready to take them day or night. Their adorableness was in high demand. "I'm sure you'll find a way."

"You'd better finish your packing," Blair stated as she untangled herself from his arms, "You're going to be late for your flight, and you still have to say goodbye to the children."

Chuck nodded as the dread settled into the pit of his stomach. As much as he dreaded saying goodbye to his wife, saying goodbye to his children was going to be ten times harder.

He'd never spent a night so far away from them since Charlotte was born. Yes, the children stayed with friends and family for the occasional overnight visit, but they were home first thing in the morning.

He couldn't imagine not waking up in the morning to have Charlotte greet him at the breakfast table with her eager hug or not taking Brice and his dog for a walk in the park or reading Aiden a story at night as he tried to resist falling asleep so that his father would read to him again. Chuck's days were filled with activities that revolved around his children, and that was the way he wanted it.

Soon Chuck's suitcase was packed and rolled into the entryway. On the table near the elevator was the banner that Charlotte, Brice and Aiden had spent their morning creating. There were beautiful little drawings done by his daughter, chicken scratch artwork done by his oldest son, and swirl marks surely added by his youngest. There were even a few paw prints Chuck was sure were added by the family dog. In big bold letters were the words, 'Hurry Home, Daddy'. It was almost enough for Chuck to completely cancel his trip.

"Bye, Daddy," Charlotte wept as she threw her arms around her dad's shoulders when he knelt before her.

"I'll be home soon, Princess," Chuck assured her, "And I promise to have all sorts of presents for you when I return."

"Okay," she loosened her hold on his neck, her tears dried slightly with the promise of gifts.

"Who's going to walk Barty with me?" Brice inquired when Chuck shifted so that he was in front of his oldest son.

"Uncle Nate is coming over every morning and then again when he's finished at his office each evening," Chuck assured him, "You and Barty will get all sorts of exercise, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded and then hugged Chuck.

Chuck shifted one more time as Aiden scrambled into his arms. "No go, Daddy."

"I'll be home soon, Aiden," Chuck tried to soothe his crying son by rubbing circles into his back.

"I miss you," Aiden's head came to rest in the crook of Chuck's neck.

"I'll miss you more," Chuck assured him, "But I'll be home before you know it."

Blair took Aiden into her arms as Chuck grabbed his luggage and pushed the call button on the elevator. He made one last round, kissing the cheeks of each member of his family before he stepped into the elevator. He couldn't force himself to turn around until the door was closed as he pulled the picture out of his wallet that he'd slipped in earlier that day. It was the family portrait they'd given out at Christmas several months earlier. Every face was smiling. That was how he wanted to visualize his family for the few days he was away, not the tear stained cheeks he'd just left.

"I want Daddy," Aiden moaned as he cried against Blair's shoulder.

"I know my sweet little boy, I do too, but he has to be away for a few days even though he doesn't want to be. He'll be back as soon as he can," Blair replied as she rubbed his back softly, "How about the four of us go out for ice cream?"

Charlotte and Brice cheered in excitement, but Aiden continued to pout against Blair's shoulder.

"Go put your shoes on and find your coats," Blair urged the two older children as she carried Aiden to his room and helped him get into his own shoes.

"Daddy come home," Aiden moaned.

"He will," Blair gave him her most reassuring smile, "I know we'll all miss Daddy, but he won't be gone for long. In the meantime, we get to have all sorts of fun without him."

Even at the age of two, Aiden had the skeptical look of his father down as he eyed his mother.

"I promise," Blair added.

"Sleep with you until Daddy home?" Aiden inquired when Blair finished tying his shoelace.

"We'll have to see about that, Sweetie," Blair replied as she returned him to the floor after his shoes were secured on his feet and lightly patted his bottom, "Go see if Brice and Charlotte are ready to go. I'll meet you all at the elevator." Aiden scurried from his bedroom to rustle up his siblings while Blair went to her bedroom to find her own shoes.

She paused in the closet after she's slipped her feet into her shoes. She felt silly even thinking of it, but she couldn't stop herself from burying her face in Chuck's dress shirts as she inhaled his scent. He hadn't even been gone ten minutes, and she missed him already. She knew it was going to be a long week without him.

* * *

><p>"Have you settled in yet?" Blair inquired as she answered her cellphone later that evening. She knew without having to look at the caller identification that it was Chuck calling. He'd promised to call the moment he arrived in his hotel.<p>

"Just checked in," he replied.

Blair could hear him wrestling with something as they spoke. "Was the flight okay?"

"A little turbulent," he stated, "It certainly wasn't the Bass jet."

"I'm sorry," she replied.

"Are the children down for the night?" Chuck inquired as he continued with his task.

"Aiden is, for the moment at least. I don't think he'll sleep much this week unless I let him sleep in our bed. He really misses his daddy," Blair explained as she heard what sounded like a computer singing to life.

"I miss him too," Chuck replied, "And the other two?"

"Charlotte's reading in her room, and Brice is playing with Barty in the family room. I'm letting them stay up a little later seeing as their summer vacation has begun," Blair stated.

"You're such the pushover," he chuckled.

"I know," she sighed, "Before we got into this parenting thing, I figured I'd be authoritarian, and you'd be the pushover. How and when did our roles reverse?"

"Quite awhile ago," he chuckled, "Would you go into my office?"

"Why? Did you forget something that I need to messenger to you?" she inquired as she began the short trek down the hallway towards his office.

"No," he replied, "I want you to turn on my computer, so we can have this conversation face to face. I had Eugenia make sure that my laptop had video conferencing. I want to be able to say goodnight to you and the children before everyone goes to bed for the evening."

"I'll go get the children," Blair stated as she hit the power button to turn the computer on.

"Start my computer first," he requested, "I want to make sure this works before we dash the hopes of our offspring."

"Good idea. Hold on a minute. Your computer is still booting," she explained, "When was the last time this thing was upgraded. It looks ancient."

"It's been a few years," he chuckled.

"I guess I know what to get you for Father's Day," she tapped her finger against his desk while she waited for the machine to finish loading.

"I have three beautiful children, that's more than enough," he assured her.

"Be that as it may, you know me better than that," she replied, "Of course you'll be getting a lavish gift of some sort."

"Sexy lingerie is always a popular choice," he chuckled.

"Every Father's Day that we've spent together I've given you the same thing, me in sexy lingerie. Don't you get sick of getting the same gift over and over?"

"When it's you in sexy lingerie, no," he replied, "It is my day after all, you should give me something that makes me happy. There isn't much else that will make me happier than my gorgeous wife in sexy lingerie."

"Three children later, and you're still that horny teenager that I fell in love with," she laughed.

"And you're still that sexy minx that pranced across the stage at Victrola and then let me have my way with you in the back of my limo the week before your seventeenth birthday," he laughed with her.

Blair felt a blush creep to her cheeks as the computer finished loading. "What's your password, Bass?" she inquired as she went to log into his computer.

"BurlesqueBlair16," he replied, "All one word, both burlesque and Blair are capitalized."

"Is it a coincidence that we were just talking about that night, or have you been planning this?" Blair inquired as she typed in his password as he'd instructed.

"Happy coincidence," he smirked, "Tell me when you've logged in so I can connect with the computer."

"It's loading again," she sighed, "Seriously, Chuck, I'm getting you a new computer. This is ridiculous. I could pop out another kid in the time it is taking this thing to load."

"You'd need to find a sperm donor, my love," he reminded her, "I'm shooting blanks, remember."

"Indeed I do," she smirked as the computer finally finished loading, "Okay, it's done loading."

"I'm going to connect. Make sure you accept the connection when you get the message," he replied.

"This isn't my first video conference, you know," she reminded him as his message popped up on her screen. She quickly accepted the connection and before she knew it, his face appeared on screen, "Hi, Handsome."

"Hello, Beautiful," he smiled while they hung up their cell phones and continued their conversation through their computers.

"You were missed today," she informed him, "And Aiden has been moping around here since you left. I've never seen that little boy so depressed. You would have thought he lost his best friend."

"If it wasn't so heartbreaking to witness, I'd be flattered by how hard he's taking this separation," Chuck stated, "I didn't think it would be this hard on any of the children."

"Your life revolves around them, Bass," she reminded him, "Of course they were going to miss you."

"Can I talk to them?" Chuck inquired.

"Yes," Blair nodded, "We'll start with Charlotte. I'll go get her."

"Hi, Daddy," Charlotte took a seat at her father's desk after sprinting into his office the moment Blair told her Chuck was waiting.

"Hi, Princess," Chuck smiled as Blair adjusted the height of Chuck's chair so that Charlotte could be seen on his monitor, "Are you ready for bed yet?"

"Not yet," Charlotte replied, "I'm reading."

"Really, what are you reading?" he inquired.

"Anne of Green Gables," she responded, "It's really good."

"You have your riding lesson tomorrow," he reminded her, "Don't forget to remind your mother."

"Mommy, I have a riding lesson tomorrow," Charlotte tilted her head back so she could see her mother.

Blair chuckled as Charlotte returned her attentions to her father.

"Have you bought me any gifts yet?" Charlotte inquired.

"Not yet," he chuckled at his materialistic daughter's eagerness. She was so much like her mother in looks and personality it was eerie sometimes. "I just arrived an hour ago. I haven't been able to find anything in the hotel's gift shop that is worthy of my princess yet, but I promise that I will keep looking."

"Okay," she sighed, "Mommy took us to see penguins today."

"Oh really," Chuck replied. This was certainly news to him. Blair hadn't mentioned it during their brief conversation.

"Yep, we saw penguins and sea otters and…" Charlotte rambled on as she listed all the animals they'd seen during their outing in the Central Park Zoo that afternoon, "And then we had ice cream and cookies…"

"Which explains the sugar high you're still on," Chuck interrupted her, "No wonder you and Brice are still awake."

"We had fun," Charlotte informed him.

"That's good," he laughed, "You're being good for Mommy, aren't you? No Waldorf fits?" It was a term that he and Blair had coined when Charlotte was still a toddler and created a massive scene when something wasn't going her way.

"I was good today, wasn't I, Mommy?" Charlotte asked as she tilted her head back again.

"Yes," Blair laughed while stroking her fingers through her daughter's curls.

"It's past your bedtime, Princess," Chuck noted, "Go get ready for bed. Mommy will tuck you in after I finish talking to your brothers, okay?"

"Okay," she pouted.

"I love you, Princess," Chuck replied.

"I love you too, Daddy," Charlotte kissed her hand and then shifted in the chair so that she could touch the screen where his cheek was, "I miss you."

Before Chuck could respond, she was out of the room to carry out Chuck's order.

"You have the magic touch," Blair shook her head, "I wasn't going to get her into bed for at least another hour."

"She may have me wrapped around her finger, but I've learning that she's also wrapped around mine," he chuckled, "I'm sure puberty will put an end to that, but for now I intend to use it to my advantage."

"Let's see how that works with Brice," Blair challenged him, "I'll go get him."

Chuck prepared himself for the round of twenty questions he was about to face. If it was possible, Brice was even more curious about the world since he started school. The rounds of questions lasted much longer.

"Hi, Dad," Brice jumped into the chair after flying into the room.

"Hi, Little Man," Chuck smiled, "How are you?"

"Good," he replied, "Dorota had to take me and Barty for a walk this evening. Uncle Nate couldn't make it, but he promised that he would be here first thing in the morning."

"That's good," Chuck stated, "Did you thank Dorota for taking you?"

"Yep," he nodded, "What kind of plane did you fly in today?"

"A 757," Chuck replied.

"Did you get to fly first class?" Brice inquired.

"Yes," Chuck nodded.

"Did you get to eat anything?" his son asked.

"Yes, the flight attendant gave me macadamia nuts when we took off, and then we had a steak sandwich served with vegetables," Chuck replied.

"Did you get any cocktails?" Brice inquired.

"No," Chuck shook his head, "I'm on a business trip. I typically don't drink until the end of the day when I'm on a business trip, if I drink at all."

"How come?" Brice inquired.

"I need to keep a clear head," Chuck replied, "The people that I work with expect me to keep a level head, or I might make a bad deal."

"That's bad," Brice stated, "Then you'd have to go back to work full time."

"Maybe," Chuck nodded.

"I don't like when you have to go on business trips," Brice informed him, "You can't read my bedtime stories to me."

"No, I can't," Chuck agreed, "But I'm sure Mommy would read to you if you ask nicely."

"Is your hotel nice?" Brice inquired.

"Yes, it's very nice," Chuck nodded, "It's not one that we own, but it's nice."

"Are you in the Presidential Suite?" Brice asked.

"Yes," Chuck nodded.

"Has a president ever stayed there?" Brice inquired.

"I'm not sure, Buddy," Chuck responded, "I'll make sure to ask."

"Why would they call it a presidential suite if no president has ever stayed there?" Brice inquired as he propped his head up on his father's desk. Either the sugar was wearing off or the endless questions were wearing him out. Chuck could see that Brice was getting tired.

"So that anyone that stays in the suite feels special, like the president," Chuck explained.

"Do you feel special staying there?" Brice inquired.

"No," Chuck shook his head, "But I know the secret as to why they call it a presidential suite because we own many hotels."

"Can you come home yet?" Brice let out a healthy yawn.

"Not for a couple of days," Chuck sighed, "But I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Can we come stay with you?" Brice asked.

"You have baseball practice on Tuesday and Thursday, and Charlotte has her riding lessons tomorrow, Wednesday, and Friday," Chuck pointed out.

"If I skip my baseball practice, can I come stay with you?" Brice asked.

"I bet Joe DiMaggio never skipped baseball practice to stay at a hotel with his father," Chuck countered. Joe DiMaggio was Brice's current idol. He alternated between many of the Yankee greats, but Joe DiMaggio was his current favorite. Whether it was getting Brice to eat his vegetables or pick up his clothes, using his idol was always the most useful way to keep Brice in line.

"Fine," Brice pouted, "I'll go to stupid baseball practice."

"You love baseball, Brice," Chuck pointed out, "You want to play catch with Barty every time we go to the park, and you know all the servers in the luxury box by name at Yankee Stadium."

"Fine," Brice moaned, "It's not stupid."

"I'll be home soon, Brice," Chuck vowed.

"Okay," Brice nodded.

"Why don't you get your pajamas on?" Chuck suggested, "Mommy will read you a bedtime story."

"Okay," Brice's head continued to bob.

"I love you, Little Man," Chuck smiled.

"Love you too, Dad," Brice hopped out of his chair and darted off.

Chuck smiled to himself as he waited for Blair to appear once again. So far he was two for two in getting his children into bed.

"Look, Aiden, who is that?" Blair inquired as she sat in Chuck's chair with her son in her lap. She'd found him in his bed, grumpy, half awake and asking for his daddy. Aiden followed Blair's finger to the screen.

"Daddy," Aiden called out as he reached towards the screen.

Chuck's heart ached as Aiden continued to reach towards him, expecting to be able to touch his father.

"Hi, Aiden," Chuck tried to summon the best smile he could.

"Come home now," Aiden demanded as he began sucking on his thumb.

"I wish I could," Chuck sighed.

"Come home now," Aiden mumbled as he kept his thumb in his mouth.

"Aiden, Daddy will be home as soon as he can," Blair told him gently, "He doesn't like being so far away any more than you like him being so far away, but he has to for his job."

"Quit," Aiden demanded.

"Daddy can't quit his job, Sweetie," Blair tried to explain to him, "It's Grandpa Bart's company. He gave it to Daddy to take care of. You want Daddy to take care of Grandpa Bart's company, don't you?"

"No," Aiden snapped.

"If Daddy quits then he won't have the company to give to you and to Brice and to Charlotte," Blair replied as she began rocking him gently back and forth.

"Aiden," Chuck interrupted the response that his son was about to make, "I know how hard this is. Nobody wants me to be home more than I want to be home. I can't say anything that is going to change your mind about this, but I do promise to be home as soon as I possibly can."

"Come home now," Aiden repeated his demand from before.

Chuck's head fell forward in defeat. It was killing him that he couldn't give into his son's demand. He didn't deny his children anything, especially his time. He knew how it felt when he was a little boy and he wanted to have his own father at home when he was on a business trip. He hated that he was making his own children feel that way.

"Why don't you go climb into my bed?" Blair suggested as she lowered Aiden to his feet, "I'll be there in a few minutes after I tuck Charlotte and Brice into bed."

"I love you, Aiden," Chuck called out as Aiden sulked away but received no reply.

"Should I come home?" Chuck inquired once Blair had assured him that Aiden was out of the room.

"No," Blair shook her head, "I'll manage until Friday."

"Perhaps you will, but will Aiden?" Chuck frowned.

"He'll be fine," she assured him, "And just think of the homecoming you'll be getting when you do come home. You'll feel like a rock star with the way these children will be hanging all over you."

"I'm counting the minutes," Chuck sighed.

"Don't worry about the children," Blair tried to assure him, "You just focus on your work. I promise I have everything under control. Yes, the children miss you. I miss you, but we'll be just fine."

"I love you," Chuck gave her a tiny smile.

"I love you too," she smiled, "And I'll see you in a few days."

Chuck nodded.

"Get some sleep, Bass," she encouraged him.

Chuck snorted in reply. She knew better than anyone that he wouldn't be sleeping much on this trip. He never had slept well when he was apart from her. This week wasn't going to be any different.

**TBC...**

**Don't forget that feedback. It keeps me posting (hint, hint).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**My humble thanks for those of you who took a few moments to review. I appreciate the support.**

"Hi, Charlotte," her riding coach, Sophia, greeted the young girl at the stables the next morning, "Licorice is waiting for you. Where's your dad?"

"Daddy is on a trip," Charlotte replied, "But I brought Mommy and my brothers."

"And where are they?" Sophia inquired looked around for the little girl's mother that she'd never had the honor of meeting. Horseback riding had always been Charlotte and Chuck's special time together.

"Aiden saw a horse he wanted to pet," Charlotte explained when Blair suddenly appeared with her two sons in tow.

"You must be the famous Blair Bass," Sophia extended her hand to Charlotte's mother.

"I wouldn't say famous," Blair greeted Charlotte's instructor, "Notorious might be a better way to put it."

"According to this little girl you are famous," Sophia explained as she patted Charlotte's helmeted head.

"What have you been telling your instructor about me, Charlee?" Blair eyed her daughter curiously.

Charlotte merely shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Well, we'd better get your horse ready to ride," Sophia urged Charlotte towards her horse's stall. "Mrs. Bass, there are some seats near the arena that you can view your daughter's lesson."

"Point us in the right direction," Blair picked Aiden up when he began to drift towards another horse a few steps away. After being given the instructions, Blair took off with Brice following along behind her, kicking the dirt in boredom. He'd been protesting his need to come along since he'd awoken that morning. He was determined not to change his tune.

Charlotte's lesson was extremely detailed and bored Brice nearly to tears. Fortunately Blair had the foresight to bring along a book for him to read to occupy his time. Aiden, on the other hand, watched his sister with fascination. He cheered every time she landed a jump.

"I jump," Aiden started to show off while he made his way down the bleacher seats while Sophia took Charlotte and her horse back to the stables to tend to her. He began leaping from one level to the next, nearly toppling over at one point as he jumped too far. Fortunately Blair's reflexes kicked in before he took a tumble the rest of the way down the bleachers.

"How about we save the jumping for when you're on solid ground?" Blair suggested as she held Aiden's hand tight the rest of the way down the bleachers even with Aiden trying to peel her fingers away.

On firm footing, Aiden began to imitate a horse as he snorted and grunted. In his mind, he was a horse jump over several hurdles.

"Looks like Daddy is going to have to buy another horse when someone gets a little older," Blair chuckled as they waited for Charlotte to finish her lesson, "Aiden, when we get home, you cannot ride Barty. He is a dog, not a horse. People do not ride dogs. Do you understand?"

"Okay," he pouted.

"Can we go home yet?" Brice whined, "I'm bored."

"As soon as Charlotte gets here," Blair nodded as she patted his head.

Brice huffed in response. "Can Uncle Nate take me to baseball practice tomorrow?"

"No," Blair shook her head, "Uncle Nate has to work after he takes you and Barty for your walk."

"He said he could if you said it was okay," Brice replied.

"Of course he would say he could. That man runs from responsibility like the plague," Blair rolled her eyes, "But the answer is still no. Charlotte, Aiden, and I will be sitting in the bleachers to cheer you on the way we were for Charlotte today."

"Do you have to?" he moaned, "None of the other moms watch."

"That's because all the other moms are too busy spending their husbands' hard earned money on Fifth Avenue or so self absorbed in their own careers to pay their son any attention," Blair replied, "That isn't your mother. I'm watching."

"Fine," Brice moaned as he kicked at the dirt underneath his feet.

Charlotte joined them shortly thereafter to soak up the praise her mother showered upon her. Charlotte was beaming from ear to ear as they approached their car. She was even happier when she was told she could pick the restaurant for lunch.

* * *

><p>"Day two went better," Blair informed her husband as they had their nightly video chat, "And all the children are in bed."<p>

"The question is whose bed are they sleeping in?" Chuck gave her a knowing grin.

"Only Aiden is currently in our bed," Blair state defensively, "And that is more for me than him. I need someone to snuggle with. Charlotte is getting too old and won't cuddle with me. Brice moves too much. I'd never get any sleep. Aiden is such the cuddler. He's the natural choice."

"It's really cute the way you put it," Chuck smiled, "Its complete crap, but it's cute that you almost sound like you mean it."

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" Blair observed the tiredness in her husband's eyes.

"Maybe an hour total," he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"How were your meetings today?" she inquired.

"Dull," he stated.

"I'm sorry," she replied.

"Tell me more about your day," Chuck requested, "I'd rather not relive mine because there is nothing with you or the children in it."

"Charlotte is quite the rider," Blair beamed with motherly pride, "I'll admit that I know absolutely nothing about horse riding, but she looks at home on top of her horse. What's his name again?"

"Her name is Licorice," Chuck corrected her, "Because she's black like black licorice."

"She's really good, isn't she?" Blair stated.

"Yes," Chuck nodded, "Both horse and rider are quite skills. Licorice's mother was an Olympic champion jumper. I'm not saying that we have an Olympian on our hands, but Charlotte loves to ride."

"And Charlotte's instructor seems to know what she's doing," Blair noted.

"She is the best instructor in New York," Chuck nodded, "She was an Olympian."

"She's quite pretty too," Blair added.

Chuck shrugged his response, "I hadn't noticed."

"Liar," Blair rolled her eyes at him, "I know you, Bass. You don't touch, but you still look. I'm okay with that. Those eyes don't wander for long before they return to me."

"I don't look," Chuck held firm, and he was mostly telling the truth. He didn't look. Sure he noticed women on the street or in a restaurant or anywhere else that he happened to be, but there was never the leering stare that he would have used in his youth. There was just a nod of acknowledgement as he continued on his merry way, which was usually back to the wife that still took his breath away.

"Liar," Blair repeated, "I still look."

"At other women?" Chuck's eyes looked to her with intrigue.

"At other men," she clarified, "Does that worry you?"

"No," he shook his head confidently, "Look all you want. You'll never find anyone as satisfying."

"That almost sounds like a challenge," she cautioned him.

"You'd have to test drive the merchandise to know for certain, and you'd never give into temptation," Chuck replied.

"Are we boring?" Blair sighed.

"How could we be boring?" Chuck inquired.

"I don't know," she gave a dramatic sigh, "But here we are talking about extramarital affairs and neither one of us is the least bit worried about the other cheating."

"And how is that bad?" Chuck frowned in confusion, "Is there something that you aren't telling me?"

"Not about me," Blair shook her head quickly.

"Did Nathaniel do something to Vanessa?" Chuck inquired. "I know they aren't seeing each other any more, but do you know something I don't?"

"You'd know before me," Blair pointed out.

"So it's Serena," Chuck concluded, "What happened?"

"She's been going through a hard time," Blair took a deep breath, "Dan wants them to try again, but Serena doesn't even want to think about it because there is the potential for another miscarriage. They've been fighting a lot. She was out to dinner with Eric and Magnus. Some guy bought her a drink. She flirted and took things too far."

"Does Dan know?" Chuck inquired.

"I don't think so," Blair shook her head, "I don't think anyone else knows but me. She told Dan that she spent the night at Lily's. As far as I know, Dan hasn't checked out her story."

"But it was just one night," Chuck pointed out.

"But it's not," Blair replied as the tears began to well, "I love my best friend, Chuck, but I can't hold her hand and tell her everything is going to be okay when she comes to me saying that it was another moment of weakness and that she loves her husband. What she's doing goes against everything I believe in, but I can't tell her that without rubbing what you and I have in her face."

"Serena needs to be put in her place," Chuck stated, "She also needs to come clean with her husband. Yes, he's going to be angry, probably furious, but he doesn't deserve what she's doing to him."

"I've tried to get her to tell him," Blair insisted.

"Maybe it's time to do more than that," Chuck replied, "Maybe its time for an ultimatum. There is more than just infidelity to consider here, Beautiful. If she's sleeping with this guy and still sleeping with her husband, there are safety concerns. And what if she does get pregnant? How will she know whose child it is?"

"I guess I haven't thought about that," Blair stated.

"We both know how hard it's been on Serena. She wanted her own child more than anything, and she has been devastated two times. That doesn't give her a pass on this," Chuck stated.

"You're right," Blair nodded.

"How long has this been going on?" Chuck asked.

"I think the first time was about two months after her last miscarriage. The doctor had just told her that she could start trying for another child, but she refused to consider it," Blair explained.

"That was three months ago," Chuck responded, "Why have you kept this from me?"

"It's not my secret to tell," Blair replied.

"I could tell that something had been bothering you, but I thought it was about CB Fashions. You always seemed unsettled when you returned from those days at the loft. I thought you were wanting to go back full time," Chuck explained.

"No," Blair shook her head vigorously, "I like my involvement where it is. Eventually we'll both be going back to work fulltime, there is no denying that, but for right now the involvement that I have is enough. I'm still involved in the line. I still have creative control, but I also get to be home to tuck the children into bed."

"I still wish you would have told me about Serena," Chuck stated, "If for no other reason than so I could be a better support for you."

"You're completely wonderful, do you know that?" Blair gushed as she looked to her husband with total adoration.

"I have my moments," he nodded.

"I love you," she smiled.

"I love you," he replied.

"I'd better get to bed before Aiden wakes up and finds us in here talking. It's probably best to keep you off his mind as much as possible," she explained.

He nodded in agreement.

"By the way, I think he might be wanting his own horse in a few years," Blair replied, "He was jumping all around all afternoon like Charlotte's horse. He nearly took Barty for a ride after I specifically told him not to."

"That's why he did it," Chuck laughed, "He is my son. I never listened to those that had my best interest at heart either when I was his age."

"It's a good thing Barty is such a mild mannered dog," Blair replied, "If I'd been that dog I probably would have bitten Aiden for such a stunt."

"You love that dog as much as the children do," Chuck continued to laugh, "It's okay to admit it."

"I'd love it a little more if it would stop chewing my Jimmy Choos," she sighed, "He leaves every other shoe in the house alone. Why the Jimmy Choos?"

"They must taste the best," he chuckled.

"Same time tomorrow?" Blair inquired.

"It's a date," Chuck nodded, "Don't forget about Brice's baseball practice tomorrow."

"I haven't forgotten," she assured him, "But he's made it very clear that not happy about me tagging along tomorrow. He wanted Nate to take him. I put my foot down."

"Would you like a few words of advise?" Chuck inquired.

"Could I stop you?" Blair asked.

"Don't embarrass him by running to him when he slides into a base. Even if he breaks his ankle, he doesn't want you to fuss over him," Chuck replied.

"If he breaks his ankle, you'd better believe I'd fuss over him," Blair gasped in horror at the thought that her little boy could get hurt in such a way.

"My point is just leave him be unless he comes crying to you with blood pouring down his face," Chuck explained.

"Stop putting those thoughts in my head, or he's never going to play baseball another day in his life," Blair scolded him, "You're doing this to torture me, aren't you?"

"Would I do that to you?" he chuckled.

"Yes," she glared at him.

"Same time tomorrow," Chuck replied as he kissed his fingers and held them up.

"Sleep well," Blair replied as she kissed her fingers and brought her fingers to his.

**TBC...**

**I'm always up for feedback. Don't be shy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Enjoy**

"Charlee, play catch," Aiden begged his sister as they watched their brother play catch with his best friend on the baseball field at the start of practice.

It was Charlotte's turn to play the annoyed sibling as she sat on the bleacher and read her book while Brice played baseball with his little friends.

"Charlee, play catch," Aiden tugged at her skirt to get her attention, "Charlee, catch."

Charlotte lifted her eyes in her mother's direction for a moment looking for some relief, but Blair's attention was on Brice who had just been hit in the shoulder by an errant throw from another one of the boys on the field.

"Okay, Aiden, go get one of those baseball," Charlotte pointed to one of the balls in a bucket near the fence.

Aiden darted towards the balls as quickly as his legs would carry him.

Charlotte rolled her eyes in mild annoyance as she stood up and follow Aiden to spot with enough room to play catch with him.

Aiden was actually good at throwing the ball. He'd been learning from Chuck during Brice's practices, but catching was his downfall. Every time Charlotte lofted the ball towards him it went right through his arms, but he was determined to get it right. He kept lobbing the ball back to his big sister and waiting for the next opportunity to catch the ball. Charlotte's annoyance went right out the window as she was caught up in Aiden's determination.

"You need a glove, Aiden," Charlotte told her brother when he chased after another ball he'd let get past him.

"Mommy forgot," Aiden tossed the ball back.

"Then we should send Arthur to retrieve it," Charlotte lofted another attempt in his direction.

The ball hit Aiden's hand this time and bounced up slightly. He began juggling the ball in his hands as he tried to get a grip. Suddenly, eureka, he had it. He was so excited he didn't hear the frantic calls from all the boys on the field as one of the balls of batting practice had gotten away and was sailing in Aiden's direction.

Thunk! The ball hit Aiden squarely in the face.

Charlotte, Blair and Brice all dashed to the little boy's side as he fell to the ground. His face was dazed, but he didn't make a sound except for when his butt hit the dirt.

"Oh my goodness, Aiden, Sweetheart, are you okay?" Blair gasped as she brought her little boy's head to her chest when he began crying out in pain. His agonizing cry stopped Blair's heart. She'd never heard such a sound from her little boy. "Brice, find me some ice."

"I'm so sorry, Mom," Charlotte began to apologize, "I didn't see the ball coming until it was too late."

"It's not your fault, Sweetie," Blair assured her.

Aiden stopped crying for a moment only to suck in a giant gulp of air before he let out another ear splitting scream. Blair pulled his head away for a moment to determine where exactly the ball had hit him. His right eye was already swollen, but his nose wasn't bleeding. It looked like the ball hit him squarely in the cheek.

Brice returned with a bag full of ice that he handed to his mother, which she promptly pressed to Aiden's wound.

"We'd better get you to Doctor Coffey," Blair stated picked up Aiden in her arms and rushed him to the limo that was waiting. Arthur moved at double speed once the family was safely inside the limo.

* * *

><p>"Aiden has a very hard little head," Doctor Coffey announced as she returned with the x-ray films that had been taken when Aiden first arrived in her office.<p>

The little boy had settled down, but he was still weepy. Making things worse, he was back to asking for Chuck.

"No broken bones, just a lot of bruising," Doctor Coffey elaborated.

"What about a possible concussion?" Blair inquired as she ran her fingers through Aiden's hair in a soothing manner.

"You said he didn't lose consciousness. He answered all my questions to the best of his abilities. He says he doesn't have a headache," Doctor Coffey shook her head, "I don't think there is any reason to suspect a concussion. If a headache does develop or his balance starts to falter, by all means call me. I'll be right over."

"It's never a dull day in the Bass household," Blair sighed in relief.

"Aiden is going to have quite a shiner for a few days, but the swelling should subside by the weekend," Doctor Coffey explained.

"Chuck's out of town for three days, and his son ends up with a shiner," Blair sighed, "He's going to think I can't take care of my own children."

"Which is the furthest thing from the truth," Doctor Coffey chuckled, "Ice Aiden's face three more times today to keep the swelling down. If he needs something for the pain, it's okay to give him a dose or two of baby Tylenol.

"I not baby," Aiden snapped at his pediatrician as he hopped down from the examination table.

"You are absolutely right," Doctor Coffey bit her lip to keep from chuckling as she looked towards Blair and softly added, "Half dose of children's Tylenol."

"Thank you, Doctor Coffey, for fitting us in," Blair smiled as she extended her hand to her son.

"I'm always available for my favorite patients," Doctor Coffey assured her as she walked Blair and Aiden to the waiting room where Brice and Charlotte were waiting patiently with Arthur, who had volunteered to sit with the children while Aiden was tended to.

"Oh, Aiden," Charlotte moaned as she hugged her little brother tight, "I'm so sorry."

"It not Charlee fault," Aiden hugged her in return.

"Alright, let's get you three home," Blair stated as she ushered everyone out of the waiting room.

Charlotte took Aiden's hand and led him to the elevator, playing up the protective older sister in the most adorable way.

Back at the penthouse, Charlotte fussed over Aiden for the rest of the day. Aiden soaked up the attention like a sponge. When it came to bedtime, Charlotte insisted on sleeping with both Aiden and her mother in her parents' bedroom.

* * *

><p>"So day three was a little rocky," Blair admitted while she spoke to Chuck that night after everyone was tucked in.<p>

"What happened?" Chuck inquired.

Blair hit a few buttons on her cellphone to send him a picture she took of Aiden's shiner.

"Check your phone," Blair stated when she heard his phone beep to signal that he'd received her message.

"What happened?" Chuck gasped. His eyes went wide as he caught sight of the black eye on his youngest son.

"You built up all the possibilities of Brice getting hurt at baseball practice, you forgot to mention that Aiden could get hurt too," Blair explained.

"This happened at baseball practice," Chuck gasped, "Did they use him for batting practice instead of baseballs?"

"Close," Blair replied, "Aiden and Charlotte were playing catch during batting practice. One of Brice's friends hit a ball that zeroed in on Aiden's face."

"Is he okay?" Chuck inquired.

"I took him to see Doctor Coffey. There were a lot of tears, some of them mine, but no broken bones," Blair assured him, "He'll be fine in a few days."

"Black eyes," Chuck waxed nostalgically, "A right of passage for a little boy."

"If memory serves you had to wait until your sixteenth year for that particular right of passage," Blair chuckled.

"Courtesy of Humphrey," Chuck added, "Have you talked to Serena about what we discussed yesterday?"

"I haven't had the time," Blair shook her head, "Watching Charlotte watch over Aiden has occupied my entire day."

"Run that by me again," Chuck looked at her in confusion.

"Charlotte felt so guilty for not protecting her little brother from being hit by the baseball that she has hovered over him all day. I even have an extra bed buddy tonight as a result," Blair snickered in amusement.

"As long as they are your only bed buddies," Chuck replied.

"Still didn't sleep last night," Blair realized the bags under his eyes had increased since the previous evening.

"Maybe another hour," he shrugged.

"You need to start bringing sleep aids when you go on trips without me," Blair replied.

"Or maybe just not go on trips without you," he amended.

"I like that suggestion better," she smiled.

"Is Aiden really going to be okay?" Chuck inquired, "I believe an injury to a child would be a valid excuse to leave these mind numbing meetings early."

"He's going to be just fine," Blair assured him, "You'll need to find another reason to duck out early."

"Don't tempt me," he sighed, "Remind me of this retreat the next time the board tries to suck me into another one. This is just an excuse for many of them to play endless rounds of golf, couple of tennis matches, eat expensive dinners on the company's dime, and seek out entertainment from women that aren't their wives for the week. In between all of that they manage to fit in a few seemingly pointless meetings where nothing of any relevance is discussed."

"It's only a few more days," Blair reminded him, "I'm sure you can tough it out just like the children and I will be doing."

"Charlotte has riding lessons again tomorrow," Chuck reminded her.

"I remember," Blair nodded, "That has to go better than the baseball practice."

"It will be a good story to tell one day," Chuck reassured her.

"Hearing your son getting struck in the face by a baseball is the worst sound in the world," Blair glared at him, "This is not a story I will enjoy telling any day, and the way he was crying. Oh my god, I thought my heart was going to explode. Thank goodness it wasn't more serious. Chuck, if the ball had hit him a little higher, he could have lost his eye."

"Don't think like that," Chuck stated, "You said he's going to be just fine. Focus on that."

Blair nodded as she wiped away an errant tear that fell.

"I want to be home," Chuck clinched his hands together in anger, "I want to be the one to wipe away those tears for you."

"I want that too," she smiled weakly, "It's just a few more days. You'll be home on Friday."

"Sleep well, Beautiful," Chuck replied as he reached towards his monitor to touch the outline of her face.

"You too, Handsome," she replied, "I love you."

"I love you too," Chuck responded before they simultaneously disconnected their video chat.

Blair went into her bedroom to see her oldest and youngest children curled up together in her bed. If she weren't worried about the flash waking either of them she would have found the camera and taken a picture to send to their father. It was the most adorable thing she'd seen all day.

She disappeared into her closet to pull out her nightgown before slipping into the bathroom to go through her nightly routine. She was sitting at her vanity applying moisturizer to her face when her son stumbled in.

"Mommy, my eye still closed," Aiden nudged her leg to get her attention.

"Your eye is just swollen shut," Blair assured him while she lifted him into her lap, "I'm sure it will be all better soon."

"I can't see," he pouted.

"I know," she kissed his eye tenderly, "And it isn't fun, but it will get better I promise."

"Have you had wollen eye?" Aiden inquired.

"Yes," Blair nodded as her eyes reflected a hint of sadness. Her son missed it as he was half asleep, but she knew Chuck wouldn't have missed it if he'd been there, "I've had two swollen eyes at the same time. It wasn't fun. I could barely see at all. If Daddy wasn't around I would have walked into a lot of walls."

"Your eyes look all better now," Aiden pointed out when he reached out and touched her cheek.

"It was a long time ago, Sweetie," Blair explained as she brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them, "Daddy and I weren't even married then. Your eye will heal just like mine did."

"I want Daddy to come home," he stuck out his lip in a pathetic little pout.

"I know, Baby," Blair tapped at his bottom lip before she pressed her forehead to his, "Daddy wants to come home, but he can't. I know three more days seems like forever, but its really not. Soon, he'll be home, and you can do all the things with him that you did before. Do you want to learn a trick to make the time go faster?"

"Yes," Aiden's head bobbed up and down.

"Time passes quicker in your sleep than it does when you're awake, so the more you sleep the sooner it feels like he'll be home," she told him.

Aiden quickly climbed off her lap and pulled on her hand, "It's bedtime, Mommy."

"Go ahead, Aiden, I'll be right there," Blair assured him, "And we can cuddle until you fall asleep."

"Okay," Aiden dashed into the bedroom while Blair finished her routine before joining her son and daughter in bed. Aiden cuddled right into her when she laid down and was out within minutes.

It took a while longer for Blair to fall asleep. When she did it was a fitful sleep as disturbing dreams she'd kept at bay for a long while came to the surface.

**TBC…**

**This chapter brings up events from 'In The Rut'. If you haven't read the story, it's suggested reading before the next chapter gets published.**

**As always, feedback is strongly encouraged.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**As previously mentioned, this story references events from 'In A Rut', so if you haven't read it, you might be a little lost. Either way, I hope you enjoy.**

"B, you look exhausted," Serena observed when she arrived at her best friend's first thing in the morning. Blair had called her an hour earlier asking if she could take Charlotte to her riding lesson. Always the enthusiastic aunt, she jumped at the chance even when Blair asked if she could take the boys with her.

"I am exhausted," Blair nodded.

"Is sleeping without Chuck that difficult?" Serena inquired.

"These bags have nothing to do with Chuck," Blair insisted, "Well, not directly anyways."

"And not that I'm not happy to pitch in, but I thought you were taking Chuck's duties this week," Serena replied.

"I have an appointment this morning," Blair stated, "It came up suddenly and it can't be rescheduled."

"Okay," Serena replied, "Where are the three angels?"

"Having breakfast," Blair motioned Serena towards the dining room.

"Aunt Serena!" all three chimed in unison as they hopped off their chairs and went to greet her.

"Oh my goodness, Aiden, what happened to your eye?" Serena knelt next to him and kissed his boo-boo.

"Baseball hit my eye yesterday," Aiden replied.

"Ouch," Serena stuck out her lip to pout before she kissed his forehead, "That must have hurt."

"Yep," Aiden nodded, "I get better though. Mommy did."

"Mommy did," Serena repeated in confusion, "When did Mommy have a black ey… oh, yes, you will get all better just like Mommy did."

Serena looked towards her best friend. The bags under her eyes suddenly made sense. She quickly looked for a way to change the subject.

"Charlee, I'm taking you to your riding lesson," Serena announced, "That is if it is okay with you?"

"Is Humphrey coming?" Charlotte asked.

"Nope, it's going to be you and me and Aiden and Brice," Serena listed.

"Okay," Charlotte replied.

"Everyone finish their breakfast," Blair chimed in as she looked to her watch, "It's almost time to go."

"You had a nightmare last night about what happened all those years ago when you were an intern, didn't you?" Serena asked her best friend once the children had disappeared to get their shoes.

"Yes," Blair's eyes began to tear.

"I didn't even know you thought about it anymore. It's been almost ten years," Serena pointed out.

"I still have nightmares every so often," Blair admitted, "But usually Chuck is home to help me through them."

"So what are you going to do?" Serena inquired.

"What I always do after I have one of these nightmares," Blair explained, "Go see my therapist."

"That's the appointment you have this morning," Serena concluded.

Blair nodded as the trio of children dashed eagerly into the room. Blair quickly dried her eyes and put on a brave face for her children.

"If you need to talk," Serena whispered in her ear as she hugged her best friend before she was sent on her way.

"I'll call," Blair bent over to kiss each of her children goodbye, while adding a warning to them all to behave for Serena.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Blair," her therapist greeted her with a familiar smile.<p>

"Hi, Lori," Blair returned the smile as she was ushered into her therapist's office and looked around. "You've redecorated. I like it."

"Thank you," Lori smiled, "It's clearly been awhile since your last session if you're only now noticing. It's been well over a year since I did all this."

"No offense, but it's not been long enough," Blair sighed as she took a seat.

"How are you, Blair?" Lori inquired as she took a seat opposite Blair, "How are those three angels of yours?"

"Growing far too fast for my liking," Blair smiled happily as she produced a recent picture taken of them, "There are days I just want to stop them from growing all together, but that's not going to ever happen so Chuck and I savor every day."

"And how is that handsome husband of yours?" Lori asked.

"As wonderful as ever," Blair sighed happily. She always liked these first few moments with her therapist. It was like catching up with an old friend she hadn't seen in awhile, not a therapist charging by the hour, "But unfortunately out of town on a business trip at the most inopportune moment."

"Shall we start with why you're here today?" Lori inquired.

"Might as well," Blair shrugged as Lori reached for her notepad so she could take notes if necessary. "I had a nightmare last night. I don't need to go into details of the nightmare as it's the same one I always seem to have."

"And the trigger?" Lori prodded, "Do you know what caused it?"

Blair nodded. "Aiden had a little accident yesterday. He got hit in the face with a baseball and ended up with a black eye. To make him feel better, I told him about when I had two black eyes. I only said it to assure him that he would get better, but it brought up all these old feelings. And since Chuck is out of town my dream chaser wasn't available to fight the demons away."

"Last time you were here was when your attacker came up for parole," Lori noted, "I'm going to assume that the parole was denied."

"God, yes," Blair sighed in relief, "Whether it was by Chuck's greasing a few palms or not, that bastard is still safely behind bars where he belongs. I can't believe he was ever even given the option of parole after all the women that he's hurt over the years."

"I can't believe it myself," Lori sighed. Yes, Blair's attacker was still behind bars, but not all her patients were as lucky. Many were forced to face the fact that their attacker was back in the real world. It was part of her job that was hard to stomach.

"I wish these dreams would just go away," Blair sighed, "I hate that they still can interrupt what is otherwise a perfect life. I have an amazing husband. I have three beautiful, healthy children. My relationships with my parents are better than they've ever been. I get to work on my own terms, doing something that gives me such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Why can't all that be enough to chase these dreams away for good?"

"Do you remember when you first started coming to me?" Lori inquired, "You were scared of your own shadow. You couldn't allow Chuck to touch you. You were seeing bruises that were not there, and you thought your life would never get back on track."

"What's your point?" Blair asked curiously.

"Look how far you've come," Lori replied with her most encouraging voice, "You're Blair Bass, half of the most powerful, most influential duo in all of New York City. Your life is held up as the fairy tale that so many others aspire to. You have a nightmare every few years about what was a horrendous moment in your life. That's not just progress, that's setting the bar so high that I'm not sure anyone could ever surpass you."

"That's because I had Chuck," Blair twisted her wedding and engagement rings around her finger with a smile, "There were times I was ready to give up, but he was right there to fight me on it. I guess I do have the fairytale life. A few nightmares suddenly don't seem all that bad. It could have been a lot worst, right?"

"Sadly, yes," Lori nodded.

"Chuck and I really should have…should do more for victims of violence like what I went through," Blair stated.

"You wanted to separate yourself from the traumatic moment," Lori replied, "I can't fault you for that, nor do I expect you to hand over an enormous check."

"But like you said, Chuck and I have all this influence. We could do something good with it," Blair pointed out.

"All I want is for you to focus on your mental health," Lori stated, "Just the mention of your attack can still trigger crippling nightmares. I don't want you doing more than you are able."

"But I can do more, much more," Blair insisted, "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Whatever you do decide to do, promise me that your mental health will always be your first priority," Lori requested.

"I can do that," Blair nodded.

* * *

><p>"You have bags under your eyes, Beautiful," Chuck pointed out as soon as they connected for their nightly chat.<p>

"Rough night last night," Blair sighed, "And I have another addition to our bed tonight."

"Brice," Chuck guessed.

Blair nodded, "And I think Auntie Serena is behind it. She spent the day with them."

"How about we backup and start with why you had a rough night last night?" Chuck requested.

"It started innocently," Blair sighed, "Aiden woke up as I was going through my nightly routine before bedtime…minus my favorite workout. He was pouting about how his eye was swollen shut. I wanted to assure him that his eye would be as good as new soon."

Chuck winced as he recognized where this was heading.

"So I told him that I once had two swollen eyes and pointed out that I healed up nicely," Blair added.

"I wished you'd used me as a reference point," Chuck sighed, "Then you wouldn't have had to bring up those memories."

"I should have," Blair nodded in agreement, "I went to see Lori today."

"And how did it go?" Chuck prodded her.

"It was good to see her," Blair smiled, "It's good to have that reminder of how far I've come."

"We've both come a long way since those frightful months that followed," Chuck agreed.

"Chuck," she sung out sweetly as she batted her eyelashes.

"I know that tone. I know those lashes," Chuck braced himself for her request, "This is going to be expensive."

"I want to set up a center where victims of the same type of abuse I went through can go and receive the best possible care even if they aren't fortunate enough to have the bank account that I had access to," she explained, "It's something that we should have done years ago."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Chuck pressed, "Our children don't even know the details of what happened, and we've agreed to wait until they are much older before we tell them. If we put our name out there on something like this, there are going to be questions that I don't think either of us are ready to answer."

"I want to do this anonymously," she elaborated, "We build it. We start it. We turn it over to someone that we can trust to continue on with our vision, and hundreds of men and women will get the benefit."

"There are benefits to staying anonymous," Chuck nodded.

"I'm not looking for you to write a check right this minute," Blair assured him, "But I wanted to talk about this with you when it's still fresh in my mind."

"Then we'll talk more when I come home on Friday," Chuck assured her.

"Good," she smiled, "We're in the home stretch. Friday is nearly here."

"It can't come soon enough," Chuck sighed with relief, "And I've made my feelings well known that we will not be having another one of these extended executive retreats without a much firmer business agenda. Our shareholders would be appalled by the excessed these people are going through. I'm appalled. There are going to be some serious changes when I get back to New York."

"Are you talking back the reigns?" Blair inquired, her voice quivering in nervousness.

"No," Chuck replied, "We still have a little boy that deserves the same attention that his brother and sister received, but there is going to be more accountability. Department budgets are going to be tightened. Executive bonuses will be scaled back…"

"You're so sexy when you get all bossy," Blair interrupted him, "Your nostrils are flaring. There is steam coming out your ears. You're like a bull stomping at the dirt ready to charge."

"Get your red cape ready," he challenged her, "Because I intend to charge full speed ahead into you when I get my hands on you."

"Promise?" she baited him.

"You are too good at defusing my bad moods," Chuck shook his head in disbelief. While he felt himself angry only a minute earlier, he was now perfectly calm.

"Years of practice," she chuckled, "All I have to do is get your mind into the gutter, and voilà you're back to being as happy as a clam."

"That's a handy trick," he laughed along with her, "Does it work both ways?"

"It might," she responded coyly.

"Brice has baseball again tomorrow," Chuck sighed.

"I know," Blair nodded, "And Aiden is wearing a face mask the entire time."

"That's a little excessive," Chuck pointed out.

"I don't care," Blair huffed, "You've only seen the pictures. I have to deal with it in Technicolor."

"Just give him his baseball mitt," Chuck suggested, "He's an excellent catcher when he has his mitt. Was he wearing his mitt when the ball hit him?"

"I didn't even think to bring it along," Blair admitted.

"He probably would have caught the ball if he'd had his mitt. He has excellent hand-eye coordination," Chuck explained.

"Now you tell me," Blair threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Feel free to blame the entire incident on me," Chuck replied, "I clearly didn't have the foresight to see this as a possibility."

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed, "The entire thing was an unfortunate accident. The odds of it happening the first time were small, a second time would be even more rare."

"Yet you are insisted that he wear a catcher's mask," Chuck pointed out.

"I hate when you turn my logic against me," she glared at him, "You do that on purpose all the time. It's so irritating."

"It's one of my most enduring qualities," he chuckled.

"No charging bull for you when you get home, Mister Bass," she continued to scowl at him.

Her response had him howling with laughter.

"I hate you," she huffed.

"I love you too," he continued to chuckle, not taking her statement seriously for even a millisecond.

"You're so irritating," she shook her head, "How did I ever find this charming?"

"I wore you down," he smirked.

"And I have two clones of you to deal with," she remarked.

"Speaking of clones, why is Brice sleeping with you, and how is it Serena's idea?" Chuck prodded.

"After having my nightmare, I knew that I needed to see Lori, but her only opening was during Charlotte's riding lesson. I asked Serena to take Charlotte and the boys. Naturally she said yes. She saw the bags under my eyes; she guessed the cause. She spent the rest of the day talking to Brice about how with his daddy out of town that he was the man of the house and how he should be protecting his mother and siblings. He gets home and suddenly he's insisting that he sleep in our bed, where his daddy would, like he's replacing you. If he wasn't your son, he'd be in his own bed right now," Blair explained, "He even pulled out the 'New York Times' tonight and proceeded to look through the business section and stock reports like he's seen you do nearly every day of his life."

Chuck bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh, but he knew it was a battle he was going to lose.

"Now I have to deal with the constant motion of your son all night long. These bags under my eyes will be double the size tomorrow," she cautioned him, "It took me forever to train you to not move around all night long."

"I don't have a solution for you on that one," Chuck shrugged, "I'm sorry, Beautiful."

"I have one," Blair replied, "Make it home on Friday like you promised."

"Absolutely," Chuck nodded.

"Good night, Bass," Blair smiled.

"Good night, Bass," he repeated with his own smile.

There was a mutual pause as they locked eyes for several moment before they disconnected their video chat that night.

Blair sighed in relief that she only had one more night of chats to get through.

**TBC…**

**Feedback is encouraged.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Aiden, sweetie, time to wake up," Blair shook her son awake the next morning. Charlotte and Brice were already awake and preparing for their day, but Aiden was being lazy as he continued to sleep soundly in his mother's bed.

"No," Aiden shoved his mother's hands away before he burrowed deeper under the covers, "Sleep til Daddy come home."

"Aiden," Blair tried to shake him awake again.

"No," Aiden moaned.

Blair began muttering under her breath as she pulled out her phone. Time to call in her secret weapon.

The elevator chimed an hour later.

"Uncle Eric," Charlotte tore through the penthouse to greet her favorite uncle.

"There's my little princess," Eric caught her as she leapt into his arms.

Brice heard Charlotte's greeting of their uncle and was quick to join them.

"Hi, Brice," Eric's husband, Magnus, greeted him.

"Hi, Uncle Maggie," Brice waved at him.

"We hear that someone is being a little sleep monster today, so Maggie and I are taking you two to baseball practice," Eric explained his presence.

Both children were cheering in excitement when Blair joined the quartet in the entryway.

"I see our secret weapons have arrived," Blair greeted both men with kisses to their cheeks, "How are the newlyweds?"

"We've been married for over a year already," Eric pointed out, "I'd hardly call us the newlyweds."

"Has it been a year already," Blair shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown, but she knew he was right. Aiden was barely six months old when Magnus and Eric made things legal after six years together. Though it was now official, Magnus had been part of the family since the day he and Eric first met, which was the day Charlotte was born and Chuck had punched out his brother during an emotional moment. Eric always joked that it was the best punch he ever took. Magnus wholeheartedly agreed.

"Is Aiden really going to miss this?" Eric inquired.

"Well I can't pry him out of bed, so unless you're more successful it's going to be just the four of you," Blair explained, "I made the mistake two nights ago of telling Aiden that time passes faster in sleep. I think he's determined to sleep until Chuck gets home tomorrow."

"May I try?" Magnus inquired.

"Absolutely," Blair linked arms with Magnus and brought him to her bedroom.

"Hey, Aiden, it's Uncle Maggie," Magnus shook the little boy lightly, "Uncle Eric and I came to spend the day with you. Won't you wake up so you can join us?"

"No," Aiden stated as he pushed the covers away, "I want Daddy."

"I know," Magnus gave an understanding nod, "Nobody can replace Daddy. I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him, but I don't think he'd want you to mope around all day. I think he'd want you to have as much fun as you can because he's going to want to hear all about what you and your siblings have been up to while he was gone. You don't want to disappoint him, do you?"

"No," Aiden shook his head and sat up.

"How about you get ready and join us for the day," Magnus suggested.

"Can Mommy come too?" Aiden asked.

"Absolutely," Magnus nodded, "It wouldn't be any fun without Mommy now, would it?"

"Yay!" Aiden cheered as he leapt up and started jumping up and down in his pajamas.

"Hurry up," Blair patted his bottom lightly, "Brice's baseball practice starts soon. We don't want him to be late, do we?"

"No, I bring glove. No more ouchies," Aiden responded while he pointed towards his bruised eye.

"Good idea," Blair chuckled while Aiden jumped off the bed, his little feet appeared to be running before he even hit the ground. "Maggie, you are a genius. You should be in pediatrics, not maternity."

"I rotate through," Magnus grinned as Blair linked arms with him and brought him back into the entryway, "I want to keep my skills fresh for when E and I decide to add to our family."

"So are we ready to go or waiting for one more?" Eric inquired as he was waiting patiently.

"Aiden will be out in a minute," Blair replied, "I'm going to go wrap up some breakfast for him to take along. He's already grumpy. I'd hate for him to be hungry and grumpy. That is a lethal combination."

"We'll be here waiting," Eric kept swaying back and forth with his niece still in his arms. Her head was rested against his shoulder. He thought she might fall back to sleep as she was as quiet as he'd ever heard her. "You okay, Charlee? You're awfully quiet."

"I miss Daddy," she muttered.

"I'm sure you do," Eric smiled sympathetically, "But he's going to be home tomorrow, so it's just one more day. I bet he got you presents."

"He said he would," Charlotte perked up slightly.

"And I'm sure he wouldn't let his princess down," Eric smiled.

"Brice, do you have everything you need for practice?" Magnus inquired of his nephew.

"I need my glove and hat," Brice replied.

"Well, let's go get them," Magnus suggested as he held out his hand to Brice in expectation that he would lead him to them.

The elevator chimed just as everyone was returning to the entryway in preparation to leave.

"I'm looking for the parents of Charlotte Waldorf-Bass," the man stepped off the elevator to twelve eyes looking towards him intently.

"I'm Blair Bass," Blair spoke up, "I'm Charlotte's mother. May I help you?"

"I'm Mac Huxley," the mysterious man stepped towards Blair and extended his hand. "I'm the owner of the stable where Charlotte boards her horse and takes lesson."

"My riding instructor's last name is Huxley," Charlotte chimed in.

"Sophia is my daughter," Mac replied.

"What can I do for you, Mister Huxley?" Blair inquired, "We're not behind on our boarding or instruction fees, are we?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Bass," he shook his head, "I was hoping to speak to you about a special opportunity regarding Charlotte. Is Mister Bass available, as well?"

"He's out of town for a business retreat until tomorrow," Blair replied, "If you'd like to wait until then, we could make an appointment for sometime next week."

"That's perfectly alright," Mac replied, "I can give you the particulars, and then you can relay them to your husband. It will only take a few minutes of your time."

"Why don't you three go with Uncle Eric and Uncle Maggie?" Blair suggested to the children, "I'll come along a little later."

"Okay," Brice pulled at Magnus's hand. He'd hate to be late for his favorite activity, especially since it was something to do with Charlotte.

"Aiden, Sweetie, do you have your baseball glove?" Blair asked her youngest, "I'd hate for you to get another shiner to match the one you got on Tuesday."

"Right here, Mommy," Aiden held up his glove.

"Okay, good," Blair replied, "Make sure to pay attention to what's happening on the field."

"Okay," Aiden replied.

"I'll be along shortly," Blair assured Eric and Magnus as she ushered her family to the elevator.

* * *

><p>"So what is this all about, Mister Huxley?" Blair inquired once they were seated in the living room and Dorota had served them tea.<p>

"Mrs. Bass," Mister Huxley began.

"Blair," she quickly corrected him.

"Blair," he corrected himself, "I've been watching your daughter's lessons for quite some time. She's very good."

"Thank you," Blair beamed with motherly pride, "I'll admit that I know absolutely nothing about horses or riding them, but Charlotte loves it. That's all that matters. All I know is that she looks absolutely adorable in her riding outfit and up on her horse."

"She has a lot of potential," Mac stated, "Her talents could take her quite far."

"How far could it take her? It's just lessons," Blair looked to him in confusion.

"I'd like to see her start entering competitions," Mac explained, "She's certainly talented enough to be competitive. Competitions can take place all over the country and even the world. My daughter even was able to compete in the Olympics."

"My husband mentioned that," Blair stated, "I'm not sure that I want my daughter entering something so competitive just yet. She's only seven. I want her to enjoy being a child for as long as she can. I don't want her jetting all around the world from one week to the next. She has school, her friends, and her family."

"I understand your concerns," Mac replied, "This life isn't for anyone. That is why I have come to you first before it is even mentioned to your daughter. This activity requires the full support of her parents. I want you to take some time, discuss it with your husband before any decision is made one way or another."

"She's really that good?" Blair inquired.

"She's the best rider I've seen since my daughter," Mac nodded.

Blair beamed with pride for a second time.

"I won't take up any more of your time. You were clearly on your way out for a day with your family," Mac stated as he handed Blair a card, "If you or your husband have any questions, please give me a call."

"We will," Blair nodded as she walked Mister Huxley to the elevator, "Thank you for taking the time out of your day."

"I'm sorry if I kept you from anything important," Mac stated.

"My day with my children," Blair replied, "I'll play catch up."

"I'll leave you to it," Mac stated as he shook her hand, "Thank you for listening."

* * *

><p>"Hi, Mommy," Aiden greeted Blair at the ball field. He was playing catch with Magnus. Eric was standing in front of him. He had the appearance of being a bodyguard for her son, which Blair found adorable.<p>

"Hi, Sweetheart," Blair replied as she scooped her son up in a hug.

"I play catch with Uncle Maggie," Aiden stated as he squirmed in her arms so that she would put him down.

"Well have fun," Blair stated, "But be careful."

"Okay," Aiden stated as Magnus lofted another ball in his direction. He caught it straight away. Chuck had been right. With a glove he was much more coordinated.

"Hi, Sweetheart," Blair took a seat next to her daughter who had her head in her book, "What kind of trouble has Anne found herself in?"

"She just dyed her hair green," Charlotte replied as she closed her book, "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No," Blair assured her as she wrapped her arm around Charlotte's shoulders, "Mister Huxley just wanted to talk about how talented a rider you are."

"I like riding," Charlotte replied as she leaned into her mother's embrace.

"I'm glad to hear it," Blair smiled, "It looks like you have fun riding. Have you ever thought about entering any competitions?"

"A little," Charlotte nodded, "Some of the girls in the classes a few years ahead of me at school enter them. They sound like fun, but I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"Well, if you ever feel that you're ready, you let me or Daddy know. I promise you that we'll be in the front row cheering you on," Blair replied as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Thanks, Mom," Charlotte beamed.

"Thank you for being such a good sport about coming along to your brother's baseball practice this week. I know this isn't exactly your idea of fun, but Daddy and I appreciate it," Blair replied.

"I miss Daddy," Charlotte sighed deeply.

"I miss him too," Blair ran her fingers rhythmically through her daughter's hair, tucking several strands behind her ear, "But he'll be home tomorrow."

"He's not going to be doing this a lot now, is he?" Charlotte inquired.

"No," Blair assured her, "This is a one time trip."

"Good," Charlotte replied, "Has he bought me lots of presents?"

"I'm sure he has," Blair laughed softly, "You are his little princess after all."

"Can I keep reading?" Charlotte inquired as she opened her book.

"Absolutely, you'll want to find out what kind of trouble Anne gets herself into next," Blair nodded.

After thoroughly wearing himself out playing catch with Magnus, Aiden climbed into Blair's lap when Brice's practice continued and fell asleep.

"I'll take Aiden to the car, Blair," Eric offered when Brice's practice wrapped up.

"Thanks for the offer," Blair replied as she picked her son up and maneuvered him so that his head was resting against her shoulder, "But he weighs practically nothing. I can handle him."

"Did you see me hit that ball all the way to the outfield, Mom?" Brice inquired as he ran up to his family to begin boasting about his performance.

"I sure did," Blair nodded, "You hit the ball the farthest of anyone on your team."

"When is your first game, Brice?" Magnus inquired, "If I have the day off of work, maybe Uncle Eric and I can come watch you."

"I don't know," Brice frowned as he looked to his mother for answers.

"I'll send you Brice's schedule," Blair assured them, "So Brice, Charlotte, what would you like to do with the rest of the day?"

"Read," Charlotte stated.

"Play in the park with Barty," Brice stated at the same time.

"Charlee, would it be okay if you read in the park?" Blair inquired.

"Okay," Charlotte nodded.

"Eric, Mag, are you going to join us?" Blair asked, "I can have Dorota put together a picnic lunch for us."

"What better way is there to spend a day?" Eric inquired as he took his husband's hand as they all walked back to the awaiting limo.

"Arthur, did you see how far I hit that ball?" Brice asked as he darted towards the limo.

"A really long ways," Arthur played along with his young charge even though he hadn't actually been paying attention.

"Arthur, could you take us back to the penthouse?" Blair inquired, "We need to stop to pick up Barty and get a few other items for a picnic in Central Park."

"You ask as though I have an option to say no," Arthur chuckled.

"Good point," Blair laughed along, "Take us to the penthouse and then wait for us outside as we're going to Central Park after we pick up a few things. How's that sound?"

"Better," Arthur continued to laugh, "Much more familiar."

* * *

><p>Blair sat patiently in front of Chuck's computer waiting for the request from Chuck to connect to the video chat on their final evening apart. The children were all tucked into her bed. In keeping with the tradition of the week, she had yet another guest to share her bed with as Brice insisted that Barty join them for the evening. She couldn't help but be thankful that Chuck was coming home the next day. She didn't know if she had any room on her bed for more guests, and as much as she loved her loyal housekeeper, she didn't want to share a bed with her, and she had a feeling she'd be the next addition.<p>

"Come on, Bass," Blair muttered to herself as she tapped her foot impatiently, "Where are you?"

She stared at the computer screen for over an hour, yet no husband. With each minute that passed her anger started to increase. How dare he stand her up without so much as a courtesy call or voicemail or text.

He was going to be in so much trouble when he got home the next day. As she prepared herself for bed, she began planning out his punishment. It had to be a good one. Withholding reunion sex sounded like the best idea, but the more she thought about it the more she realized that she'd be punishing both of them if she followed through.

She continued to think it over as she climbed into bed after shifting limbs of children and the dog just enough so that she'd have room. She was just settling into bed when Aiden curled into her, mumbling something that sounded like, "Daddy come home morrow."

Despite her displeasure with him standing her up for their nightly chat, she couldn't wait for her husband to get home. She couldn't wait to be held in his arms, kissed by his lips…she stopped herself from going further with her thoughts as her children were in bed with her, but yes she couldn't wait for that either. She drifted off to the thoughts of how their reunion tomorrow would go. She didn't hear the chime of the elevator or see the way Barty's ears perked up.

Chuck stepped off the elevator and let out an audible sigh of relief. He was home. He'd inconvenienced himself a great deal to get home that evening. He'd traded his first class ticket for the next day for a coach ticket on the first flight that he could get that connected through Chicago's Midway. He'd taken a taxi from the airport, but none of that mattered now because he was home.

"Mister Chuck is home," Dorota let out a cheered whisper of delight as she appeared in the entryway wrapped up in her bathrobe. Chuck thought for a moment that Dorota might hug him, but she apparently thought better of it the moment the thought occurred to him.

"Couldn't get home soon enough," Chuck explained as he rolled his luggage towards her, "These things can wait until morning. Go to bed."

"Yes, Mister Chuck. All kids are with Mrs. Blair in bedroom," Dorota nodded as she brought his luggage to the laundry room before she retired for the evening.

Chuck couldn't get to his bedroom fast enough. The sight that greeted him brought a gigantic smile to his face. His entire family was sound asleep on his bed. Barty yipped a soft greeting in welcome before his head fell back down.

"Out, Boy," Chuck motioned the dog out of the room while he picked up Brice, intent on returning him to his own bed. Barty dutifully followed along, curling himself up at the end of Brice's bed when Chuck lowered Brice down. He would do the same with his daughter, and then managed to untangle his youngest from his wife.

"Don't be mad," Chuck whispered in Blair's ear after he climbed into bed.

"Chuck," Blair moaned when she recognized the familiar heat of her husband.

"I'm home," Chuck replied after a thorough ravishing of her lips, "I'm sorry I missed our video chat, but I was in the air."

"You're forgiven," Blair rolled him onto his back and pinned him down. She took a few moments to take inventory of his appearance. Physically he looked the same, aside from the gigantic bags under his eyes. "No sleep on the plane either, huh."

"Not a wink," he shook his head.

"Get some sleep, Bass. We can have our reunion tomorrow when Lily takes the children," Blair ran her hands along the defined features of his chest.

"I want to fight you on this," he yawned deeply.

"Sleep," she whispered in his ear as she pulled the blankets over the lower half of his naked body, "Let me enjoy your body while you slumber."

"Enjoy away," he mumbled while sleep finally found him after a long week away.

Blair's fingers trailed along his chest, carving out the lines as a sculpture would a fine piece of marble, reacquainting herself with her husband as if she could ever forget one single inch of his body. He liked to brag about how well he knew her body. She was just as entitled to that claim with his body. She knew every line, every mark, every hair.

Her head began to feel heavy as the sleep she'd missed out on over the week began to take its toll on her as well. Her head came to rest in against his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her shoulders even in sleep as he pulled her tight against him.

**TBC…**

**Feedback is still encouraged.**


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